On Sunday, President Uhuru Kenyatta awarded record breaking marathoner Eliud Kipchoge the highest medal of honour in the civilian category.

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In his address, Uhuru lauded Kipchoge for his recent achievement on the global arena after running full marathon under 2 hours.

President Uhuru said he was bestowing the honour on Kipchoge on behalf of “past and present sporting heroes” as the marathoner became the first sports personality to achieve such State recognition.

Depending on someone's achievements whether a civilian, politician or military officer, the state recognises people by giving them certain honours.

The highest of these awards is the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya which is divided into three classes depending on their seniority. 

The most senior is the Chief of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (C.G.H.) which is mostly awarded to Presidents.

Apart from sitting Kenyan Presidents, other notable figures who have previously been given the honour include Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Agha Khan IV among others.

Next is the Elder of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (E.G.H.) which is awarded to among others the Deputy President, Speakers of Parliament, Cabinet Secretaries, the First Lady, the wife of the Deputy President, Head of Public Service and the Kenya Defence Forces' (KDF) Chief of Staff.

The last in this category is the Moran of the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (M.G.H.) whose recipients include senior KDF commanders and the Inspector General of Police.

The second highest category of the awards is the Order of the Burning Spear which is equally divided into the Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (C.B.S.), Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (E.B.S.) and Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (M.B.S.).

The other presidential orders in terms of seniority include; the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya, the Distinguished Conduct Order, the Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star of Kenya, Head of State's Commendation and the Uhodari Medal.